PRESS STATEMENT: FDA Approves Praluent, New Cholesterol-Lowering Treatment

For Immediate Release
July 24, 2015

FDA Approves Praluent, New Cholesterol-Lowering Treatment

This afternoon, the FDA approved Praluent, a cholesterol-lowering treatment from Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Praluent is the first FDA-approved treatment in a new class of drugs known as PCSK9 and comes with a price tag of $14,600 per patient, per year. It is widely anticipated that the price of this treatment has the potential to put a significant strain on the U.S. health care system.

In response to this afternoon’s FDA approval, John Rother, president of the National Coalition on Health Care and leader of the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, issued the following statement:

“Breakthrough treatments such as Praluent hold tremendous medical promise for certain patients, but it’s price tag makes us question how long the health system can sustain these costs for patients managing chronic conditions over several years.”